[Article] The Boston Bruins Paid Premiums For Canucks and Flames Duo. Will They Be Home Runs?

[RWJC]

The Boston Bruins Paid Premiums For Canucks and Flames Duo. Will They Be Home Runs?

Carol Schram

The Hockey News

Sept 11 2024

 

The Boston Bruins' biggest UFA additions enter an intense environment with high expectations. Here's what Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov will face on the ice.

 

One-time foes in the 2011 Stanley Cup final, the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks effectively executed a multi-player trade on the first day of NHL free agency.

 

On July 1, the Bruins snapped up UFA center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov from Vancouver, while the Canucks signed former Bruins Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Derek Forbort.

 

After being acquired in-season from the Calgary Flames, Lindholm and Zadorov were integral parts of the Canucks’ 2024 playoff run. Vancouver tried to keep both players, but the Bruins spent big and signed the two 29-year-olds to long-term deals.

 

When assessing a trade, the conventional thinking is the team that gets the best player wins the deal. But this situation may not be so clear-cut. 

The Bruins filled two obvious roster holes but paid premium prices — and they might be putting their new acquisitions into an especially intense environment.

 

Now on their third team together, Lindholm and Zadorov looked relaxed enough last Friday when they threw out the first pitch for a 3-1 Boston Red Sox win over the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park.

 

Here’s what they'll be facing on the ice in Boston.

 

Elias Lindholm's Big Shoes To Fill

At $54.25 million, Lindholm’s new deal was the biggest total-value UFA contract signed on July 1, and his $7.75 million cap hit was exceeded only by the $8 million Nashville gave Steven Stamkos. 

 

There's pressure any time a player signs a big contract, especially in a new market. Furthermore, Lindholm is being expected to fill the hole left open when Patrice Bergeron retired one year ago.

 

They’re both right-shot centers with strong two-way acumen and good faceoff skills. But if fans expect Lindholm to be a carbon copy of one of the best ever to play the game, that could spell trouble.

 

Lindholm is almost exactly a decade younger than Bergeron and has been a Selke Trophy finalist once in his career — in the 2021-22 season in Calgary when he also put up his career highs of 42 goals and 82 points.

 

Bergeron won his first Selke at the same age, 27, in the 2011-12 season. He was then named a finalist in each of the next 11 years, right up till his retirement, and earned five more wins — the most of all-time.

 

When the Canucks acquired Lindholm last January, they parted with a five-piece package of assets that included a first-round draft pick, promising defense prospect Hunter Brzustewicz and goal-scorer Andrei Kuzmenko. At a price like that, Vancouver fans expected major razzle-dazzle, but that didn't happen. 

 

There was no chemistry with fellow Swede Elias Pettersson, and it was rumored the Canucks might flip Lindholm again before the trade deadline. He stayed, but after missing seven late-season games with a wrist injury, he managed just 12 points in 26 regular-season games with Vancouver.

 

Even during that rough patch, Canucks coach Rick Tocchet emphasized the subtle, smart aspects of Lindholm’s game that were helping his team. In the playoffs, his contributions became more noticeable:

 

10 points in 13 games, which tied him for third in team scoring

 

five goals, including the overtime-winner in Game 4 against Nashville and another winner in Game 3 against Edmonton

 

20.0-percent shooting percentage and a top shot speed of over 86 mph, per NHL Edge

 

strong skating in terms of distance and speed bursts, also per NHL Edge

256 faceoffs taken, tied for seventh-most in the entire playoffs, and a 51.2-percent success rate

 

Lindholm’s offensive output was especially impressive, considering that he started 67.2 percent of his 5-on-5 playoff shifts in the defensive zone, per hockey-reference.com. But here’s a warning sign: in that environment, he managed a Corsi-for percentage of just 44.6 percent, meaning he was on the ice for more chances against his club than for them.

 

 

Nikita Zadorov's Towering Presence

 

As for Zadorov, the Canucks picked him up in late November for a pair of mid-round picks after the big Russian expressed disappointment with his role with the Flames. 

 

Ironically, his ice time dropped from 18:24 per game in Calgary to 17:04 in Vancouver. But Zadorov made an immediate impact with his big hits, willingness to drop the gloves to stick up for teammates and choice quips to the media in the dressing room.

 

In the playoffs, Zadorov saw more ice — ranking third among Vancouver defensemen at 20:09. Though he’d never had more than 22 points in a regular season, he chipped in four goals and eight points over 13 post-season games, and his 45 hits led all Canucks defenders.

 

Like Lindholm, he was connecting on his shots, with a 19.0-percent shooting percentage, and his top shot speed was a whopping 97.32 mph, per NHL Edge. 

 

Also like Lindholm, Zadorov’s strong offensive production in the playoffs came despite a mostly defensive role. He started 67.4 percent of his 5-on-5 shifts in the defensive zone and managed a solid Corsi-for of 49.6 percent, per hockey-reference.com.

Despite his intimidating 6-foot-6, 248-pound frame, Zadorov was always approachable with the Vancouver media. And the more the local fans showed their appreciation for his robust playing style, natty wardrobe and gift of gab, the more he seemed to raise his game.

 

He’s gotten off to a great start in Boston as well — making it crystal clear that he does not see himself as the second coming of Zdeno Chara.

 

That humility is a perfect example of his ability to read the room.

 

He’ll let his play do the talking when he hits the ice.

https://apple.news/AIuu-YOQ4R6GQgKUin2YShQ

[Coconuts]

No, they'll be Bruins

[Nucker67]

They'll both fit in really well in Boston. I wish Lindholm and Zadorov well as they beat up on the Leafs. 

[Canuck You]

Hope they both shit the bed.

[Ghostsof1915]

3 minutes ago, Canuck You said:

Hope they both shit the bed.

We're not bitter.

No, not at all....

[Bob Long]

5 minutes ago, Canuck You said:

Hope they both shit the bed.

 

Whilst injuring themselves picking up a cracker.

 

[Roger Neilsons Towel]

I’m still bitter about Zadorov. 

Hell, I’m still bitter about 2011. 

Fuck you Boston. 

[Hammertime]

2 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

Whilst injuring themselves picking up a cracker.

 

Sopel was never a Bruin. Bruins don't pick up crackers they pick up crack heads. 

[Alflives]

We dodged two bullets with these two puck suckers. Bruins fall back and miss the playoffs. F them, their players, their city, and their fans. 

[D-Money]

That Lindholm contract is brutal. He's clearly beginning to decline. Boston is seriously going to regret it in a couple of years, and the will still be many more years to go.

 

I'm more sad about Zadorov. That said, we just witnessed the best stretch of hockey in his whole career, incidentally just before he hit free agency. There is a decent chance that he never plays a stretch that well ever again. It was smarter to let him go rather than commit to matching what he signed for.

[spook007]

2 hours ago, Roger Neilsons Towel said:

I’m still bitter about Zadorov. 

Hell, I’m still bitter about 2011. 

Fuck you Boston. 

^^^^^^^^ This^^^^^^

 

I'll second that...

[Curmudgeon]

I've already forgotten those two guys. Things change, stuff happens, we move on and focus on the guys we do have here. Lindholm wanted to be a top-six centre and it wasn't happening with Petey and JT already in those two spots. As far as Zadorov goes, there might be reasons he's now on his sixth NHL team. Love the guy, but he's gone. As I say, moving on.

[Ballisticsports]

They might get 2 years of decent or good service for the money, but what of the other years which are much longer? (big gamble)

Boston was desperate to replace aging players, and bought a few years with over payment (which we didn't need or want to do)

 

We didn't get it done with younger versions of those two in the line-up and glad management didn't cave to whatever costs and terms (as past misMgmt), and instead diversified the money that would have been spent to them, to make depth

 

Rather than spend that money and term on those two, Allvin signed six players  at a total cap hit of just over $13.5 million. 

Considering that Boston committed $12.75 million to Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, that's a pretty tidy bit of business.

Edited September 12 by Ballisticsports

[Snoop Hogg]

I’m predicting they buy out Lindholm after a few years.

 

Z will be fine, but maybe a little overpaid. 

[SuchaNuxtalgia]

Gotta like the bitter memories Debrusk leaves Broon fans for their epic 2015, triple-gaffe 1st rd. Be a nice bonus if he hits the Pacific goin full-tilt.

 

I'll trade them a few yrs of decent play from Z & Lind, if JD provides us 8 yrs of excellence!

[Reznor]

Anything can happen, of course. Whatever caused Lindholm's play to fall so far so fast over the last couple of years COULD continue, and make for one hell of an expensive blunder. On the other hand, if he returns to form of 2-3 years ago, it will look like a solid signing - at least into the later years of the contract. 

 

Zadorov is the better (or at least less risk) signing IMO. He played really well in our playoff run and will be missed. But at the same time, I'm not convinced that the guy we saw in the playoffs is the player they are getting. Frankly, over the season I felt he was quite average - as nice as it was to have his size added to the roster. So what Zadorov will we see through the season in Boston? In my mind, the same one we saw here. And if they are lucky, they see the same Zadorov we did in the playoffs. However, it is more likely than not that he will underperform compared to how he did during our playoff run.

In short, I feel both signings were a bit overpaid and have a likely maximum potential to be average signings at best. At worst, it's gonna cost them. Maybe not right away, but as these players age I cannot see them improving significantly - resulting in their contracts looking more and more overpaid as the years mount.

[Ghostsof1915]

I like Lindholm, but not at $7.75 million per. 

[EternalCanuckFan]

36 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

I like Lindholm, but not at $7.75 million per. 

Lindholm at $7.75M on the Canucks would definitely not have made sense, but BOS had basically 0 C depth and had to dip into FA for a top line C, even a declining one like Lindholm.

 

They arguably have the luxury of doing this because Lindholm will presumably play with Pastrnak and is the superior option for that assignment over basically all other Cs they have.

 

I don't see Lindholm lighting the world on fire with BOS but with Pastrnak driving the bus on his line, I think Canucks fans saw enough of Lindholm's good qualities to be able to conclude that he could well make the Pastrnak line a more formidable two way line than it was last season. Considering BOS' success with Coyle, Zacha, and Geekie centering their 1st and 2nd lines, Lindholm is a solid add by them even if the money is too rich for the Canucks.

 

No love for BOS and I think the 7-year term will burn them eventually (they're presumably banking on Lindholm and Pastrnak both performing at a high level into their mid-30s), but I can definitely see a world where they get 4-5 years of solid return on the $7.75M. Put another way - if I was a team that could afford it, then I would rather have Lindholm at $7.75M AAV for 7-years than Chandler Stephenson at $6.25M for 7-years.

[Gawdzukes]

12 hours ago, Curmudgeon said:

I've already forgotten those two guys. Things change, stuff happens, we move on and focus on the guys we do have here. Lindholm wanted to be a top-six centre and it wasn't happening with Petey and JT already in those two spots. As far as Zadorov goes, there might be reasons he's now on his sixth NHL team. Love the guy, but he's gone. As I say, moving on.

 

Couldn't agree more. Zadorov is a #5/#4 tweener on a horribly long and pricey contract. Going to be a lot of Myers like angst from their fanbase on this one. Lindholm is even worse. His offence wasn't good last year, looked to be seriously drying up. They got a defensive 50 point center for $8 mil.  We have JT Miller for the same price.

[spook007]

12 hours ago, Curmudgeon said:

I've already forgotten those two guys. Things change, stuff happens, we move on and focus on the guys we do have here. Lindholm wanted to be a top-six centre and it wasn't happening with Petey and JT already in those two spots. As far as Zadorov goes, there might be reasons he's now on his sixth NHL team. Love the guy, but he's gone. As I say, moving on.

That is very true.... but I'll never get over how we got cheated against Boston... the 4 games suspension, the sweaty pig Julien, the.... Arghhhh old wounds will never heal... fuck the NHL and the 'clique' that runs it...

[Gawdzukes]

18 minutes ago, spook007 said:

That is very true.... but I'll never get over how we got cheated against Boston... the 4 games suspension, the sweaty pig Julien, the.... Arghhhh old wounds will never heal... fuck the NHL and the 'clique' that runs it...

 

I think if Schneider starts game 6 we're SC champs. Also, that suspension was absolute bullshit. What an incredibly long playoff suspension for a hockey play that happened just a millisecond too early. Didn't jive with previous decisions whatsoever.

[EastCoastExpress]

38 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

Couldn't agree more. Zadorov is a #5/#4 tweener on a horribly long and pricey contract. Going to be a lot of Myers like angst from their fanbase on this one. Lindholm is even worse. His offence wasn't good last year, looked to be seriously drying up. They got a defensive 50 point center for $8 mil.  We have JT Miller for the same price.

I dont mind seeing lindholm and Zadorov let walk in UFA, at those contracts. But Boeser is a different thing and Canucks better make him a close to fair deal. At least more than Lindholm's "value"

[EastCoastExpress]

3 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

I think if Schneider starts game 6 we're SC champs. Also, that suspension was absolute bullshit. What an incredibly long playoff suspension for a hockey play that happened just a millisecond too early. Didn't jive with previous decisions whatsoever.

I hope if both Demko and Silvos both healthy, they give a few games each way. Obviously history will matter, you put Silvos against nashville, Demko against Dallas... etc. (in the playoffs)

Edited September 12 by EastCoastExpress

[spook007]

6 minutes ago, Gawdzukes said:

 

I think if Schneider starts game 6 we're SC champs. Also, that suspension was absolute bullshit. What an incredibly long playoff suspension for a hockey play that happened just a millisecond too early. Didn't jive with previous decisions whatsoever.

We didn't score enough goals, but when we were running out of defenders, the NHL did a good one and gave a player a 4 match suspension, which has never been handed out before for a similar infringement... 

 

All their BS about injury etc... no a chance it would have happened had some Bruin done this to a Canuck... It was a cross check interference, which was slightly late, not a hit to the head or slow foot or something malicious... 

 

The NHL did what they could to help out Boston... rotten to the core...

Edited September 12 by spook007

[Gawdzukes]

Just now, EastCoastExpress said:

I dont mind seeing lindholm and Zadorov let walk in UFA, at those contracts. But Boeser is a different thing and Canucks better make him a close to fair deal. At least more than Lindholm's "value"

 

Yup, totally agree. I was very happy we didn't Benning these guys. Can't see anyone being in Brock's class available as a UFA either. I'm hoping he gets 30 again and we can sign him to something around $8 for 5-6 years. Really don't know what Brock's angle will be but if he puts up the points he's looking at some serious bargaining power.

 

Mitch Marner might be available or a guy like Holtz, maybe Kakko, is available if we want to go that route. Rantanen would be awesome but he'll re-sign in Col. Just for a laugh I'd consider trading for Dylan Guenter. I can't see us not re-signing Brock unless his demands are totally unreasonable.